Book Series

Science Direct

1. Methods in Enzymology

The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for almost 50 years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Each volume is eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. Now with over 500 volumes the series contains much material still relevant today and is truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences, including microbiology, biochemistry, cancer research and genetics-just to name a few. Five of the 2013 Nobel Laureates have edited or contributed to volumes of MIE. Coverage: Volume 305 (2000) to Volume 571 (2016).

2. Advances in Genetics

Advances in Genetics presents an eclectic mix of articles of use to all human and molecular geneticists. They are written and edited by recognized leaders in the field and make this an essential series of books for anyone in the genetics field. Coverage: Volume 77 (2012) to Volume 94 (2016).

3. Advances in Applied Microbiology

Advances in Applied Microbiology offers intensive reviews of the latest techniques and discoveries in this rapidly moving field. The editors are recognized experts and the format is comprehensive and instructive. Published since 1959, Advances in Applied Microbiology continues to be one of the most widely read and authoritative review sources in microbiology. Recent areas covered include bacterial diversity in the human gut, protozoan grazing of freshwater biofilms, metals in yeast fermentation processes and the interpretation of host-pathogen dialogue through microarrays. Coverage: Volume 78 (2012) to Volume 94 (2016).

4. Methods in Cell Biology

For over thirty years, Methods in Cell Biology has helped researchers answer the question "What method should I use to study this cell biology problem?" Edited by leaders in the field, each thematic volume provides proven, state-of-art techniques, along with relevant historical background and theory, to aid researchers in efficient design and effective implementation of experimental methodologies. Over its many years of publication, Methods in Cell Biology has built up a deep library of biological methods to study model developmental organisms, organelles and cell systems, as well as comprehensive coverage of microscopy and other analytical approaches. Coverage: Volume 63 (2001) to Volume 132 (2016).

37. An introduction to biological membranes : from bilayers to rafts. 2013.

Edited by David Wild

Abstract:

The fourth edition of The Immunoassay Handbookprovides an excellent, thoroughly updated guide to the science, technology and applications of ELISA and other immunoassays, including a wealth of practical advice. It encompasses a wide range of methods and gives an insight into the latest developments and applications in clinical and veterinary practice and in pharmaceutical and life science research.

Highly illustrated and clearly written, this award-winning reference work provides an excellent guide to this fast-growing field. Revised and extensively updated, with over 30% new material and 77 chapters, it reveals the underlying common principles and simplifies an abundance of innovation.

This handbook is a must-read for all who use immunoassay as a tool, including clinicians, clinical and veterinary chemists, biochemists, food technologists, environmental scientists, and students and researchers in medicine, immunology and proteomics. It is an essential reference for the immunoassay industry.

2. Bioconjugate techniques. 2013.

Greg T. Hermanson

Abstract:

Bioconjugate Techniques, 3rd Edition, is the essential guide to the modification and cross linking of biomolecules for use in research, diagnostics, and therapeutics. It provides highly detailed information on the chemistry, reagent systems, and practical applications for creating labeled or conjugate molecules. It also describes dozens of reactions, with details on hundreds of commercially available reagents and the use of these reagents for modifying or crosslinking peptides and proteins, sugars and polysaccharides, nucleic acids and oligonucleotides, lipids, and synthetic polymers.

Edited by David L. Rimoin, Reed E. Pyeritz and Bruce Korf

Abstract:

For decades, Emery and Rimoin’s Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics has provided the ultimate source for practicing clinicians to learn how the study of genetics can be integrated into practice.

With almost 5,000 pages of detailed coverage, this fully online sixth edition of the classic reference adds the latest information on prenatal diagnosis, genetic screening, genetic counseling, and treatment strategies to complete its coverage of the growing field for medical students, residents and physicians involved in the care of patients with genetic conditions. Clinically oriented information is supported by expanded sections on basic principles of genetics, research approaches, and analytics to embrace the evolving population of students, researchers, and practitioners who are integrating their work to provide advanced diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human disease.

With advances in high-throughput technologies propelling the closer integration of lab and clinical work, this edition bridges the gap between high-level molecular genetics and clinical application.

4. The dictionary of cell and molecular biology. 2013.

Edited by John M. Lackie

Abstract:

The Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition, provides definitions for thousands of terms used in the study of cell and molecular biology. The headword count has been expanded to 12,000 from 10,000 in the Fourth Edition. Over 4,000 headwords have been rewritten. Some headwords have second, third, and even sixth definitions, while fewer than half are unchanged. Many of the additions were made to extend the scope in plant cell biology, microbiology, and bioinformatics. Several entries related to specific pharmaceutical compounds have been removed, while some generic entries (“alpha blockers, “NSAIDs, and “tetracycline antibiotics, for example), and some that are frequently part of the experimentalist’s toolkit and probably never used in the clinic, have been retained. The Appendix includes prefixes for SI units, the Greek alphabet, useful constants, and single-letter codes for amino acids.

5. Handbook of biologically active peptides. 2013.

Edited by Abba Kastin

Abstract:

Handbook of Biologically Active Peptides, Second Edition, is the definitive, indispensable reference for peptide researchers, biochemists, cell and molecular biologists, neuroscientists, pharmacologists, and endocrinologists. Its chapters are designed to be a source for workers in the field and enable researchers working in a specific area to examine related areas outside their expertise.

Peptides play a crucial role in many physiological processes, including actions as neurotransmitters, hormones, and antibiotics. Research has shown their importance in such fields as neuroscience, immunology, pharmacology, and cell biology. The second edition ofHandbook of Biologically Active Peptides presents this tremendous body of knowledge in the field of biologically active peptides in one single reference. The section editors and contributors represent some of the most sophisticated and distinguished scientists working in basic sciences and clinical medicine.

6. Nutrigenetics : applying the science of personal nutrition. 2013.

Martin Kohlmeier

Abstract:

Nutrigenetics: Applying the Science of Personal Nutrition provides a fully referenced, readable guide to understanding the rationale and importance of nutrigenetic applications and explains why single nutrition recommendations will not fit everybody or even a majority of modern humans.

This books explains how genetic variation shapes individual nutrition requirements and sensitivities, presents questions to ask about reported gene-nutrient interactions, and what needs to be done before putting nutrigenetic tests to practical use. This book blends key concepts from the fields of genetics, biochemistry, epidemiology, public health, and clinical medicine to give a rich perspective on the genetically diverse nutritional needs and sensitivities of individuals in health and disease.

A steadily increasing number of people order genetic tests to find out what they should eat for better health, well being and performance, and an even greater number asks their healthcare providers about such tests. Most of the currently offered tests are not grounded in current knowledge, often absurdly so, but few professionals can explain why they are misguided. On the other hand, there are more evidence-supported genetic variants that can guide nutrition decisions, but again most healthcare providers know little about them, much less use them in their daily practice. There is a great need for a solidly evidence-based yet accessible book that explains the science of nutrigenetics and provides the tools to evaluate new nutrigenetic tests.

7. Principles of cloning. 2014.

Abstract:

Principles of Cloning, Second Edition is the fully revised edition of the authoritative book on the science of cloning. The book presents the basic biological mechanisms of how cloning works and progresses to discuss current and potential applications in basic biology, agriculture, biotechnology, and medicine. Beginning with the history and theory behind cloning, the book goes on to examine methods of micromanipulation, nuclear transfer, genetic modification, and pregnancy and neonatal care of cloned animals. The cloning of various species—including mice, sheep, cattle, and non-mammals—is considered as well. The Editors have been involved in a number of breakthroughs using cloning technique, including the first demonstration that cloning works in differentiated cells done by the Recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine – Dr John Gurdon; the cloning of the first mammal from a somatic cell – Drs Keith Campbell and Ian Wilmut; the demonstration that cloning can reset the biological clock - Drs Michael West and Robert Lanza; the demonstration that a terminally differentiated cell can give rise to a whole new individual – Dr Rudolf Jaenisch and the cloning of the first transgenic bovine from a differentiated cell – Dr Jose Cibelli. The majority of the contributing authors are the principal investigators on each of the animal species cloned to date and are expertly qualified to present the state-of-the-art information in their respective areas.

8. Bioenergetics. 2013.

David G. Nicholls and Stuart Ferguson

Abstract:

Extensively revised, the fourth edition of this highly successful book takes into account the many newly determined protein structures that provide molecular insight into chemiosmotic energy transduction, as well as reviewing the explosive advances in mitochondrial physiology-the role of the mitochondria in the life and death of the cell.

Covering mitochondria, bacteria and chloroplasts, the fourth edition of Bioenergetics provides a clear and comprehensive account of the chemiosmotic theory and its many applications. The figures have been carefully designed to be memorable and to convey the key functional and mechanistic information. Written for students and researchers alike, Bioenergetics is the most well-known, current and respected text on chemiosmotic theory and membrane bioenergetics available.

9. Mechanisms of morphogenesis. 2013.

Jamie Davies

Abstract:

Morphogenesis is the set of processes that generate shape and form in the embryo--an important area within developmental biology. An exciting and up-to-the-minute account of the very latest research into the factors that create biological form, Mechanisms of Morphogenesis, second edition is a text reference on the mechanisms of cell and tissue morphogenesis in a diverse array of organisms, including prokaryotes, animals, plants and fungi.

By combining hard data with computer modeling,Mechanisms of Morphogenesis, second edition equips readers with a much broader understanding of the scope of modern research than is otherwise available. The book focuses on the ways in which the genetic program is translated to generate cell shape, to direct cell migration, and to produce the shape, form and rates of growth of the various tissues. Each topic is illustrated with experimental data from real systems, with particular reference to gaps in current knowledge and pointers to future

10. Synthetic biology: tools and applications. 2013.

Edited by Huimin Zhao

Abstract:

Synthetic Biology provides a framework to examine key enabling components in the emerging area of synthetic biology. Chapters contributed by leaders in the field address tools and methodologies developed for engineering biological systems at many levels, including molecular, pathway, network, whole cell, and multi-cell levels. The book highlights exciting practical applications of synthetic biology such as microbial production of biofuels and drugs, artificial cells, synthetic viruses, and artificial photosynthesis. The roles of computers and computational design are discussed, as well as future prospects in the field, including cell-free synthetic biology and engineering synthetic ecosystems.

Synthetic biology is the design and construction of new biological entities, such as enzymes, genetic circuits, and cells, or the redesign of existing biological systems. It builds on the advances in molecular, cell, and systems biology and seeks to transform biology in the same way that synthesis transformed chemistry and integrated circuit design transformed computing. The element that distinguishes synthetic biology from traditional molecular and cellular biology is the focus on the design and construction of core components that can be modeled, understood, and tuned to meet specific performance criteria and the assembly of these smaller parts and devices into larger integrated systems that solve specific biotechnology problems.

11. Bio-nanoimaging: protein misfolding & aggregation. 2014.

Edited by Vladimir Uversky and Yuri Lyubchenko

Abstract:

Bio-Nanoimaging: Protein Misfolding & Aggregationprovides a unique introduction to both novel and established nanoimaging techniques for visualization and characterization of misfolded and aggregated protein species. The book is divided into three sections covering: - Nanotechnology and nanoimaging technology, including cryoelectron microscopy of beta(2)-microglobulin, studying amyloidogensis by FRET; and scanning tunneling microscopy of protein deposits - Polymorphisms of protein misfolded and aggregated species, including fibrillar polymorphism, amyloid-like protofibrils, and insulin oligomers - Polymorphisms of misfolding and aggregation processes, including multiple pathways of lysozyme aggregation, misfolded intermediate of a PDZ domain, and micelle formation by human islet amyloid polypeptide

Protein misfolding and aggregation is a fast-growing frontier in molecular medicine and protein chemistry. Related disorders include cataracts, arthritis, cystic fibrosis, late-onset diabetes mellitus, and numerous neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Nanoimaging technology has proved crucial in understanding protein-misfolding pathologies and in potential drug design aimed at the inhibition or reversal of protein aggregation. Using these technologies, researchers can monitor the aggregation process, visualize protein aggregates and analyze their properties.

12. The guide to investigation of mouse pregnancy. 2014.

Abstract:

The Guide to Investigation of Mouse Pregnancy is the first publication to cover the mouse placenta or the angiogenic tree the mother develops to support the placenta. This much-needed resource covers monitoring of the cardiovascular system, gestational programming of chronic adult disease, epigenetic regulation, gene imprinting, and stem cells.

Offering detailed and integrated information on how drugs, biologics, stress, and manipulations impact pregnancy in the mouse model, this reference highlights techniques used to analyze mouse pregnancy. Joining the ranks of much referenced mouse resources, The Guide to Investigation of Mouse Pregnancy is the only manual providing needed content on pregnancy in animal models for translational medicine and research.

Edited by Haleem J. Issaq and Timothy D. Veenstra

Abstract:

Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches to Biomarker Discovery demonstrates how to leverage biomarkers to improve accuracy and reduce errors in research. Disease biomarker discovery is one of the most vibrant and important areas of research today, as the identification of reliable biomarkers has an enormous impact on disease diagnosis, selection of treatment regimens, and therapeutic monitoring. Various techniques are used in the biomarker discovery process, including techniques used in proteomics, the study of the proteins that make up an organism, and metabolomics, the study of chemical fingerprints created from cellular processes.

Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches to Biomarker Discovery is the only publication that covers techniques from both proteomics and metabolomics and includes all steps involved in biomarker discovery, from study design to study execution. The book describes methods, and presents a standard operating procedure for sample selection, preparation, and storage, as well as data analysis and modeling. This new standard effectively eliminates the differing methodologies used in studies and creates a unified approach. Readers will learn the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques discussed, as well as potential difficulties inherent to all steps in the biomarker discovery process.

A vital resource for biochemists, biologists, analytical chemists, bioanalytical chemists, clinical and medical technicians, researchers in pharmaceuticals, and graduate students, Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches to Biomarker Discovery provides the information needed to reduce clinical error in the execution of research.

14. Cancer genomics: from bench to personalized medicine. 2014.

Edited by Graham Dellaire, Jason N. Berman and Robert J. Arceci

Abstract:

Cancer Genomics addresses how recent technological advances in genomics are shaping how we diagnose and treat cancer. Built on the historical context of cancer genetics over the past 30 years, the book provides a snapshot of the current issues and state-of-the-art technologies used in cancer genomics. Subsequent chapters highlight how these approaches have informed our understanding of hereditary cancer syndromes and the diagnosis, treatment and outcome in a variety of adult and pediatric solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The dramatic increase in cancer genomics research and ever-increasing availability of genomic testing are not without significant ethical issues, which are addressed in the context of the return of research results and the legal considerations underlying the commercialization of genomic discoveries. Finally, the book concludes with "Future Directions", examining the next great challenges to face the field of cancer genomics, namely the contribution of non-coding RNAs to disease pathogenesis and the interaction of the human genome with the environment.

15. Transforming your STEM career through leadership and innovation: inspiration and strategies for women. 2013.

Pamela McCauley Bush

Abstract:

Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation offers valuable information on what it means to be a leader and innovator and encourages you to discover and develop these skills for yourself. This book integrates leadership and innovation principles with personal examples and profiles of inspirational women. By providing a clear process on how to build upon your personal strengths to realize leadership and innovation goals, this book will inspire you to pick up the mantle and meet the critical need for leadership and innovation in the STEM fields. This is a must-have guide that is relevant and valuable for women in all stages of their careers.

16. Between the lines of genetic code: genetic interactions in understanding disease and complex phenotypes. 2014.

Edited by Leonid Padyukov

Abstract:

Between the Lines of Genetic Code lays out methodologies and tools for the measurement and evaluation of gene-gene and gene-environment studies and gives perspective on the future of this discipline. The book begins by defining terms for interaction studies, describing methodologies, and critically assessing the viability of current study designs and the possibilities for integrating designs. It then provides recent applications data with case studies in rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, myositis and other complex human diseases. Last, it examines current studies and directions for future applications in patient care.

Recent multivariate studies show that gene-gene and gene-environment interactions can explain significant variances in inheritance that have previously been undetectable in univariate analysis. These links among genes and between genes and their environments during the development of diseases may serve as important hints for understanding pathogenic mechanisms and for developing new tools for prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases.

Edited by Michael Donnenberg

Abstract:

The 2e of Escherichia coli is a unique, comprehensive analysis of the biology and molecular mechanisms that enable this ubiquitous organism to thrive. Leading investigators in the field discuss the molecular basis ofE. coli pathogenesis followed by chapters on genomics and evolution. Detailed descriptions of distinct strains reveal the molecular pathogenesis of each and the causes of intestinal and extra-intestinal infections in humans. This work concludes with a presentation of virulence factors common to two or more pathotypes. The book is a great resource for references and up-to-date knowledge for anyone who studies E. colipathogenesis, either as established investigators or investigators new to the field. It is also an excellent text for those who teach mechanisms of pathogenesis to graduate students and medical students and wish to have a source of knowledge from which to develop lectures.

18. The biology and identification of the coccidia (apicomplexa) of rabbits of the world. 2013.

Edited by Donald W. Duszynski and Lee Couch

Abstract:

The Biology and Identification of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa) of Rabbits of the World is a taxonomic summation of a damaging intestinal parasite found in rabbits and transmissible to other species, including humans. This book conceptually and historically summarizes the worlds literature on the parasite and also provides a quick guide to isolation procedures, identification, strategies for management, and available chemotherapy. It is a vital source of knowledge about coccidia’s real and potential transmission to humans, which can lead to dangerous health problems, like severe dehydration, vomiting, lethargy and even death.

Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease that affects several different animal species, including canines and humans, and is one of the most prevalent protozoal infections in North America. The causative agent is a protozoan that has the ability to multiply rapidly and cause major damage in the intestinal wall, rupturing the cells of the intestinal lining. The final stage, the oocyst, is extremely resistant to environmental stress and is difficult to completely remove from the environment. Oocysts are frequent contaminants of feed and water and when the sporulated oocysts are ingested by other animals, they start the life cycle over in the new host. With the demand for rabbits in scientific research and for rabbit meat for human consumption increasingly globally each year, rabbits are of epidemiologic significance for laboratory workers, university researchers, veterinarians, pet owners, and breeders.

19. Principles of tissue engineering. 2014.

Edited by Robert Lanza, Robert Langer and Joseph P. Vacanti

Abstract:

Now in its fourth edition, Principles of Tissue Engineering has been the definite resource in the field of tissue engineering for more than a decade. The fourth edition provides an update on this rapidly progressing field, combining the prerequisites for a general understanding of tissue growth and development, the tools and theoretical information needed to design tissues and organs, as well as a presentation by the world’s experts of what is currently known about each specific organ system. As in previous editions, this book creates a comprehensive work that strikes a balance among the diversity of subjects that are related to tissue engineering, including biology, chemistry, material science, and engineering, among others, while also emphasizing those research areas that are likely to be of clinical value in the future.

This edition includes greatly expanded focus on stem cells, including induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, stem cell niches, and blood components from stem cells. This research has already produced applications in disease modeling, toxicity testing, drug development, and clinical therapies. This up-to-date coverage of stem cell biology and other emerging technologies –such as brain-machine interfaces for controlling bionics and neuroprostheses– is complemented by a series of new and updated chapters on recent clinical experience in applying tissue engineering, as well as a new section on the application of tissue-engineering techniques for food production. The result is a comprehensive textbook that will be useful to students and experts alike.

Edited by Giuseppe Orlando

Abstract:

Regenerative Medicine Applications in Organ Transplantation illustrates exactly how these two fields are coming together and can benefit one another. It discusses technologies being developed, methods being implemented, and which of these are the most promising. The text encompasses tissue engineering, biomaterial sciences, stem cell biology, and developmental biology, all from a transplant perspective. Organ systems considered include liver, renal, intestinal, pancreatic, and more. Leaders from both fields have contributed chapters, clearly illustrating that regenerative medicine and solid organ transplantation speak the same language and that both aim for similar medical outcomes. The overall theme of the book is to provide insight into the synergy between organ transplantation and regenerative medicine.

Recent groundbreaking achievements in regenerative medicine have received unprecedented coverage by the media, fueling interest and enthusiasm in transplant clinicians and researchers. Regenerative medicine is changing the premise of solid organ transplantation, requiring transplantation investigators to become familiar with regenerative medicine investigations that can be extremely relevant to their work. Similarly, regenerative medicine investigators need to be aware of the needs of the transplant field to bring these two fields together for greater results.

21. Building the most complex structure on Earth: an epigenetic narrative of development and evolution of animals. 2013.

Nelson R. Cabej

Abstract:

Building the Most Complex Structure on Earth provides readers with a basic biological education an easy and understandable introduction into a new epigenetic theory of development and evolution. This is a novel theory that describes the epigenetic mechanisms of the development and evolution of animals and explains the colossal evolution and diversification of animals from a new post-genetic perspective. Modern biology has demonstrated the existence of a common genetic toolkit in the animal kingdom, but neither the number of genes nor the evolution of new genes is responsible for the development and evolution of animals. The failure to understand how the same genetic toolkit is used to produce millions of widely different animal forms remains a perplexing conundrum in modern biology. The novel theory shows that the development and evolution of the animal kingdom are functions of epigenetic mechanisms, which are the competent users of the genetic toolkit.

22. Neural crest cells: evolution, development and disease. 2014.

Edited by Paul Trainor

Abstract:

Neural Crest Cells: Evolution, Development and Disease summarizes discoveries of historical significance and provides in-depth, current analyses of the evolution of neural crest cells, their contribution to embryo development, and their roles in disease. In addition, prospects for tissue engineering, repair and regeneration are covered, offering a timely synthesis of the current knowledge in neural crest cell research. A comprehensive resource on neural crest cells for researchers studying cell biology, developmental biology, stem cells and neurobiology, Neural Crest Cells: Evolution, Development and Disease provides foundational information needed for students , practicing physicians and dentists treating patients with craniofacial defects.

23. Mathematical models for society and biology. 2013.

Edward Beltrami

Abstract:

Mathematical Models for Society and Biology, 2e, is a useful resource for researchers, graduate students, and post-docs in the applied mathematics and life science fields. Mathematical modeling is one of the major subfields of mathematical biology. A mathematical model may be used to help explain a system, to study the effects of different components, and to make predictions about behavior.

Mathematical Models for Society and Biology, 2e, draws on current issues to engagingly relate how to use mathematics to gain insight into problems in biology and contemporary society. For this new edition, author Edward Beltrami uses mathematical models that are simple, transparent, and verifiable. Also new to this edition is an introduction to mathematical notions that every quantitative scientist in the biological and social sciences should know. Additionally, each chapter now includes a detailed discussion on how to formulate a reasonable model to gain insight into the specific question that has been introduced.

Thomas Liehr

Abstract:

Benign & Pathological Chromosomal Imbalancessystematically clarifies the disease implications of cytogenetically visible copy number variants (CG-CNV) using cytogenetic assessment of heterochromatic or euchromatic DNA variants. While variants of several megabasepair can be present in the human genome without clinical consequence, visually distinguishing these benign areas from disease implications does not always occur to practitioners accustomed to costly molecular profiling methods such as FISH, aCGH, and NGS.

As technology-driven approaches like FISH and aCGH have yet to achieve the promise of universal coverage or cost efficacy to sample investigated, deep chromosome analysis and molecular cytogenetics remains relevant for technology translation, study design, and therapeutic assessment.

Knowledge of the rare but recurrent rearrangements unfamiliar to practitioners saves time and money for molecular cytogeneticists and genetics counselors, helping to distinguish benign from harmful CG-CNV. It also supports them in deciding which molecular cytogenetics tools to deploy.

25. Computational systems biology. 2014.

Edited by Andres Kriete and Roland Eils

Abstract:

This comprehensively revised second edition of Computational Systems Biology discusses the experimental and theoretical foundations of the function of biological systems at the molecular, cellular or organismal level over temporal and spatial scales, as systems biology advances to provide clinical solutions to complex medical problems. In particular the work focuses on the engineering of biological systems and network modeling.

26. Killing public higher education: the arms race for research prestige. 2013.

David L. Stocum

Abstract:

This is an opinion piece from a highly qualified professor of science who has served in administration highlights the need for reform in our public higher education research institutions. In this well-researched reference, Dr. Stocum illustrates how the competition among the public flagship universities for more money, research prestige, and power, and the imposition of mission differentiation on public universities, is detrimental to the educational needs of 21st century. The goal of the work is to expose the issues that exist, give a voice to under-recognized institutions and to provide suggestions for more effective education system moving forward.

27. Transport in biological media. 2013.

Edited by Sid Becker and Andrey Kuznetsov

Abstract:

Transport in Biological Media is a solid resource of mathematical models for researchers across a broad range of scientific and engineering problems such as the effects of drug delivery, chemotherapy, or insulin intake to interpret transport experiments in areas of cutting edge biological research. A wide range of emerging theoretical and experimental mathematical methodologies are offered by biological topic to appeal to individual researchers to assist them in solving problems in their specific area of research. Researchers in biology, biophysics, biomathematics, chemistry, engineers and clinical fields specific to transport modeling will find this resource indispensible.

28. Animal models for the study of human disease. 2013.

Edited by P. Michael Conn

Abstract:

Animal Models for the Study of Human Diseaseidentifies important animal models and assesses the advantages and disadvantages of each model for the study of human disease. The first section addresses how to locate resources, animal alternatives, animal ethics and related issues, much needed information for researchers across the biological sciences and biomedicine.The next sections of the work offers models for disease-oriented topics, including cardiac and pulmonary diseases, aging, infectious diseases, obesity, diabetes, neurological diseases, joint diseases, visual disorders, cancer, hypertension, genetic diseases, and diseases of abuse.

29. Electrocardiography of laboratory animals. 2014.

Jeffrey W. Richig and Meg M. Sleeper

Abstract:

Electrocardiography of Laboratory Animals is the only book covering electrocardiography of laboratory animals, including dogs, mini-pigs, and cynomologus monkeys. As more countries institute requirements for the care of laboratory animals in research, this publication offers an effective standard on performing and analyzing ECGs. Topics covered include safety electrocardiography, toxicology, safety pharmacology, and telemetry. Electrocardiography of Laboratory Animals will assist biological and medical researchers, veterinarians, zoologists, and students in understanding electrocardiography of various species of animals used in research.

Ofelia Olivero

Abstract:

Interdisciplinary Mentoring in Science: Strategies for Success is a practical and engaging resource on interdisciplinary mentoring in all fields of science. This book outlines what successful mentoring is, what it is not and how these important concepts relate to scientists today. Chapters include real-world examples, tips, and interviews and content is backed by current evidence and research. This reference discusses the benefits and challenges of building a mentoring relationship and highlights noteworthy topics such as mentoring minorities and women and mentoring to achieve change.

The book’s author is the recipient of the Leading Diversity Award from the National Cancer Institute. The book includes a foreword by Julie Thompson Klein who is a Professor of Humanities in the English Department and Faculty Fellow for Interdisciplinary Development in the Division of Research at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Klein is the past president of the Association for Integrative Studies (AIS) and former editor of the AIS journal, Issues in Integrative Studies.

The goal of this book is to provide readers with a better understanding of the mentoring relationship and the overall process as it applies to the increasingly interdisciplinary field of science.

31. Engineered biomimicry. 2013.

Edited by Akhlesh Lakhtakia and Raúl José Martín-Palma

Abstract:

Engineered Biomimicry covers a broad range of research topics in the emerging discipline of biomimicry. Biologically inspired science and technology, using the principles of math and physics, has led to the development of products as ubiquitous as Velcro™ (modeled after the spiny hooks on plant seeds and fruits). Readers will learn to take ideas and concepts like this from nature, implement them in research, and understand and explain diverse phenomena and their related functions. From bioinspired computing and medical products to biomimetic applications like artificial muscles, MEMS, textiles and vision sensors,Engineered Biomimicry explores a wide range of technologies informed by living natural systems.

Engineered Biomimicry helps physicists, engineers and material scientists seek solutions in nature to the most pressing technical problems of our times, while providing a solid understanding of the important role of biophysics. Some physical applications include adhesion superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning, structural coloration, photonic devices, biomaterials and composite materials, sensor systems, robotics and locomotion, and ultra-lightweight structures.

32. Animal biotechnology: models in discovery and translation. 2014.

Edited by Ashish Verma and Anchal Singh

Abstract:

Animal Biotechnology introduces applications of animal biotechnology and implications for human health and welfare. It begins with an introduction to animal cell cultures and genome sequencing analysis and provides readers with a review of available cell and molecular tools. Topics here include the use of transgenic animal models, tissue engineering, nanobiotechnology, and proteomics. The book then delivers in-depth examples of applications in human health and prospects for the future, including cytogenetics and molecular genetics, xenografts, and treatment of HIV and cancers. All this is complemented by a discussion of the ethical and safety considerations in the field.

Animal biotechnology is a broad field encompassing the polarities of fundamental and applied research, including molecular modeling, gene manipulation, development of diagnostics and vaccines, and manipulation of tissue. Given the tools that are currently available and the translational potential for these studies, animal biotechnology has become one of the most essential subjects for those studying life sciences.

Edited byGerard Socie and B.R. Blazar

Abstract:

Immune Biology of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation provides clinical and scientific researchers with a deep understanding of the current research in this field and the implications for translational practice. By providing an overview of the immune biology of HSCT, an explanation of immune rejection, and detail on antigens and their role in HSCT success, this book embraces biologists and clinicians who need a broad view of the deeply complex processes involved. It then moves on to discuss the immunobiology mechanisms that influence graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect, and transplantation success. Using illustrative figures, highlighting key issues, describing recent successes and discussing unanswered questions, this book sums up the current state of HSCT to enhance the prospects for the future.

Allogeneic HSCT is a medical procedure in which a patient receives blood-forming stem cells from a genetically similar but not identical donor. This procedure is commonly performed for people with diseases of the blood, bone marrow, or certain cancers, but it remains risky with many possible complications. As such, experimental practice is reserved for preclinical animal models including the mouse and dog.

These animal models have been essential in developing transplant protocols, including preclinical testing of conditioning regimens, treatment of GVHD, and understanding the pathology of GVHD as well as the immunological mechanisms of GVHD and GVL effect. However, recent research has revealed significant species differences between humans and animal models that must be considered when relating animal model studies to clinical allogeneic HSCT scenarios.

34. Principles of biomedical informatics. 2014.

Edited byAshish Verma and Anchal Singh

Abstract:

This second edition of a pioneering technical work in biomedical informatics provides a very readable treatment of the deep computational ideas at the foundation of the field. Principles of Biomedical Informatics, 2nd Edition is radically reorganized to make it especially useable as a textbook for courses that move beyond the standard introductory material. It includes exercises at the end of each chapter, ideas for student projects, and a number of new topics, such as: • tree structured data, interval trees, and time-oriented medical data and their use • On Line Application Processing (OLAP), an old database idea that is only recently coming of age and finding surprising importance in biomedical informatics • a discussion of nursing knowledge and an example of encoding nursing advice in a rule-based system • X-ray physics and algorithms for cross-sectional medical image reconstruction, recognizing that this area was one of the most central to the origin of biomedical computing • an introduction to Markov processes, and • an outline of the elements of a hospital IT security program, focusing on fundamental ideas rather than specifics of system vulnerabilities or specific technologies.

It is simultaneously a unified description of the core research concept areas of biomedical data and knowledge representation, biomedical information access, biomedical decision-making, and information and technology use in biomedical contexts, and a pre-eminent teaching reference for the growing number of healthcare and computing professionals embracing computation in health-related fields.

As in the first edition, it includes many worked example programs in Common LISP, the most powerful and accessible modern language for advanced biomedical concept representation and manipulation.

The text also includes humor, history, and anecdotal material to balance the mathematically and computationally intensive development in many of the topic areas. The emphasis, as in the first edition, is on ideas and methods that are likely to be of lasting value, not just the popular topics of the day. Ira Kalet is Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology, and of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, at the University of Washington. Until retiring in 2011 he was also an Adjunct Professor in Computer Science and Engineering, and Biological Structure. From 2005 to 2010 he served as IT Security Director for the University of Washington School of Medicine and its major teaching hospitals. He has been a member of the American Medical Informatics Association since 1990, and an elected Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics since 2011. His research interests include simulation systems for design of radiation treatment for cancer, software development methodology, and artificial intelligence applications to medicine, particularly expert systems, ontologies and modeling.

35. Therapeutic strategies in cancer biology and pathology. 2013.

Gajanan V. Sherbet

Abstract:

Currently, intensive effort is being directed toward the identification of molecular targets that can provide approaches to the development of novel therapeutic strategies in cancer management. This book focuses on metastasis-associated genes, metastasis promoter and suppressor genes, which relate specifically to behavioral alterations of cancer cells in epithelial mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cell maintenance and propagation, and to the acquisition of invasive and metastasis faculty. The function of these genes has implications for cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation and so constitute an essential element in cancer growth and dissemination. The emphasis in this book is on how appropriate these genes are as molecular targets and how practicable are the constituents of their signal transduction systems as potential candidates and how accessible they are to targeted therapy. Written in a straightforward and clear style with background information supporting the new research, this book will be useful for students and researchers in cancer therapies.

36. Managing and leading for science professionals: (What I wish I'd known when moving up the management ladder). 2014.

Bertrand C. Liang

Abstract:

Can technical paradigms help managers lead technical companies? In Managing and Leading for Science Professionals, Bertrand Liang explains that they can, as he explores real issues of importance for technical students and managers who want to move into leadership positions. A CEO with an MBA, Liang originally trained as a neurology and oncology clinician and later earned a PhD in molecular biology and genetics. In this book, he emphasizes what he wishes he had known as he advanced through the organization. His practitioners point of view is perfectly suited to those who are moving, or want to move, from the technical side to the business side. Focusing on the experiences of scientists and engineers, he teaches ways to speak top managements language. His insights deliver essential knowledge, empowering technical staff to succeed using the skills they know best.

37. An introduction to biological membranes: from bilayers to rafts. 2013.

William Stillwell

Abstract:

An Introduction to Biological Membranes: From Bilayers to Rafts covers many aspects of membrane structure/function that bridges membrane biophysics and cell biology. Offering cohesive, foundational information, this publication is valuable for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and membranologists who seek a broad overview of membrane science.

Pawell Ciborowski and Jerzy Silberring

Abstract:

Proteomic Profiling and Analytical Chemistry helps scientists without a strong background in analytical chemistry to understand basic analytical principles and apply them to proteomics profiling. In most proteomic profiling experiments, liquid chromatography is used; this method is also used widely in analytical chemistry. This book bridges the gap between overly specialized courses and books in mass spectrometry, proteomics and analytical chemistry. It also helps researchers with an analytical chemistry background to break into the proteomics field.

Proteomic Profiling and Analytical Chemistry focuses on practical applications for proteomic research helping readers to design better experiments and to more easily interpret, analyze and validate the resulting data. Experimental aspects such as sample preparation, protein extraction and precipitation, gel electrophoresis, microarrays, dynamics of fluorescent dyes, and more are all covered in detail.

Oxford Scholarship Online

1. Scientific methods and cultural heritage. 2010.

2. Networks. 2010.

3. Lectures on Complex Networks. 2010.

4. Scale-Free Networks. 2007.

5. Granular Patterns. 2008.

6. Atomic and Laser Spectroscopy. 2006.

7. Smart Structures. 2007.

8. Plasma Spectroscopy. 2004.

9. An Introduction to Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis. 2004.

10. Modeling Reality. 2004.

11. Quantum Field Theory and Critical Phenomena. 2002.

12. Path Integrals in Quantum Mechanics. 2004.

13. Modern Perspectives in Lattice QCD: Quantum Field Theory and High Performance Computing. 2011.

14. Financial Market Complexity. 2003.

15. Hilbert Modular Forms and Iwasawa Theory. 2006.

16. Graphs and Homomorphisms. 2004.

17. Celebrating Statistics. 2005.

18. Combinatorics, Complexity, and Chance. 2007.

19. Harmonic, Morphisms Between Riemannian Manifolds. 2003.

20. The Theory of Infinite Soluble Groups. 2004.

21. Operator Algebras and Their Modules. 2004.

22. Adapting to a Changing Environment. 2011.

23. Marine Ecosystems and Global Change. 2010.

24. Stochastic Population Dynamics in Ecology and Conservation. 2003.

25. The Estuarine Ecosystem. 2004.

26. Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing. 2009.

27. The Biology of Coral Reefs. 2009.

28. Thermal Adaptation. 2009.

29. Environmental Change and Globalization. 2008.

30. Food Webs and the Dynamics of Marine Reefs. 2008.

31. Foundations of Environmental Sustainability. 2008.

32. Conservation and Sustainable Use. 2007.

33. Fundamental Processes in Ecology. 2006.

34. Habitat Management for Conservation. 2007.

35. Principles and Standards for Measuring Primary Production. 2007.

36. The Biology of Mangroves and Seagrasses. 2007.

37. Tropical Forests and Global Atmospheric Change. 2005.

38. Computational Molecular Evolution. 2006.

39. The Microbial Models of Molecular Biology. 2003.

40. Human Genetic Diversity. 2009.

41. Dispersal in Plants. 2008.

42. Everyday Practice of Science. 2008.

43. Aquatic Food Webs. 2005.

44. Forest Ecology and Conservation. 2007.

45. Population Genetics, Linguistics, and Culture History in. 2007.

46. The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles. 2007.

1. Scientific methods and cultural heritage. 2010.

Gilberto Artioli

Abstract:

Scientific techniques and methods developed in materials science offer invaluable information to archaeology, art history, and conservation. A rapidly growing number of innovative analytical techniques, as well as many established experimental ones, are constantly being improved and optimized for the analysis of cultural heritage materials. The book is intended as a comprehensive entry-level introduction to the methods and rationales of scientific investigations of the cultural heritage materials, with emphasis placed on analytical strategies and modes of operation, materials properties, and resulting information rather than on instrumental technicalities. The first part of the book is devoted to the understanding of the basic principles of available techniques and the information they provide. The second part describes the properties and the processes related to the most common classes of materials, including several topics such as textile, paper, and amber analysis, conservation of photographic materials, and non-invasive metal analysis that are hardly covered in other non-specialist textbooks. Students and researchers from the humanities approaching scientific enquiry should find it a useful manual of available techniques and protocols, whereas scientists applying familiar techniques and methods to unfamiliar problems related to cultural heritage materials might discover interesting and unusual fields of investigation. The extensive and up-to-date reference list aims to be a useful starting point for further reading on all the presented topics.

2. Networks. 2010.

Mark Newman

Abstract:

The scientific study of networks, including computer networks, social networks, and biological networks, has received an enormous amount of interest in the last few years. The rise of the Internet and the wide availability of inexpensive computers have made it possible to gather and analyze network data on a large scale, and the development of a variety of new theoretical tools has allowed us to extract new knowledge from many different kinds of networks. The study of networks is broadly interdisciplinary and important developments have occurred in many fields, including mathematics, physics, computer and information sciences, biology, and the social sciences. This book brings together the most important breakthroughs in each of these fields and presents them in a coherent fashion, highlighting the strong interconnections between work in different areas. Subjects covered include the measurement and structure of networks in many branches of science, methods for analyzing network data, including methods developed in physics, statistics, and sociology, the fundamentals of graph theory, computer algorithms, and spectral methods, mathematical models of networks, including random graph models and generative models, and theories of dynamical processes taking place on networks.

3. Lectures on Complex Networks. 2010.

Sergey Dorogovtsev

Abstract:

This book provides a concise modern introduction to the science of complex networks. The book is based on lectures for university students and non-specialists. The aim is to introduce the world of networks to the subject without need for a serious background in mathematics or physics. The introductory chapters fill the existing gap between popular science books and comprehensive reference volumes on complex networks (including the Internet, World Wide Web, etc.). The book provides the shortest path to the world of networks and discusses the main directions of modern research in this active field as well as the history of network studies. The book describes the current state of the art in complex networks and includes recent results.

4. Scale-Free Networks. 2007.

Guido Caldarelli

Abstract:

A variety of different social, natural and technological systems can be described by the same mathematical framework. This holds from the Internet to food webs and to boards of company directors. In all these situations, a graph of the elements of the system and their interconnections displays a universal feature. There are only a few elements with many connections and many elements with few connections. This book reports the experimental evidence of these ‘Scale-free networks’ and provides students and researchers with a corpus of theoretical results and algorithms to analyse and understand these features. The content of this book and the exposition makes it a clear textbook for beginners and a reference book for experts.

5. Granular Patterns. 2008.

Igor Aranson and Lev Tsimring

Abstract:

This book is a systematic introduction to the new and rapidly evolving field of patterns in granular materials. Granular matter is usually defined as a collection of discrete macroscopic solid particles (grains) with a typical size large enough that thermal fluctuations are negligible. Despite this seeming simplicity, properties of granular materials set them apart from conventional solids, liquids, and gases due to the dissipative and highly nonlinear nature of forces among grains. The last decade has seen an explosion of interest to nonequilibrium phenomena in granular matter among physicists, both on experimental and theoretical sides. Among these phenomena, one of the most intriguing is the ability of granular matter upon mechanical excitation to form highly ordered patterns of collective motion, such as ripples, avalanches, waves, or bands of segregated materials. This book combines a review of experiments with exposition of theoretical concepts and models introduced to understand the mechanisms of pattern formation in granular materials. The unique feature of this book is a strong effort to extend concepts and ideas developed in granular physics beyond the traditionally defined boundaries of the granular physics towards emergent fields, especially in biology, such as cytoskeleton dynamics, molecular motors transport, ordering of cells and other active (self-propelled) particles, dynamic self-assembly, etc.

6. Atomic and Laser Spectroscopy. 2006.

Alan Corney

Abstract:

This book gives an account of the progress that has been made in the fields of atomic physics and laser spectroscopy during the last fifty years. The first five chapters prepare the foundations of atomic physics, classical electro-magnetism, and quantum mechanics, which are necessary for an understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with free atoms. The application of these concepts to processes involving the spontaneous emission of radiation is then developed in Chapters 6, 7, and 8, while stimulated emission and the properties of gas and tunable dye lasers form the subject matter of Chapters 9 to 14. The last four chapters are concerned with the physics and applications of atomic resonance fluorescence, optical double-resonance, optical pumping, and atomic beam magnetic resonance.

7. Smart Structures. 2007.

Vinod K. Wadhawan

Abstract:

A structure is an assembly that serves an engineering function. A smart structure is one that serves this function smartly, i.e., by responding adaptively in a pre-designed useful and efficient manner to changing environmental conditions. Smartness is normally associated with living beings, because they have the tendency to adapt themselves to changing situations. Artificial smart structures are designed to mimic biological structures to a small or large extent. This book gives a modern and comprehensive account of how this can be done. Adaptive behaviour of one or more materials constituting a smart structure requires nonlinear response. This book describes the three main types of nonlinear-response materials: ferroic materials, soft materials, and nanostructured materials. Information processing by biological and artificial smart structures is also discussed. A smart structure typically has sensors, actuators, and a control and communication system. Progress in all these aspects of smart structures has leant heavily on mimicking Nature, and the all-important notion in this context has been that of evolution. Artificial Darwinian and Lamarckian evolution holds the key to the development of truly smart structures. Modestly intelligent robots are already on the horizon. Projections about the low-cost availability of adequate computing power and memory size indicate that the future really belongs to smart structures. This book covers in a compact format the entire gamut of concepts relevant to smart structures. It should be of interest to a wide range of students and professionals in science and engineering.

8. Plasma Spectroscopy. 2004.

Takashi Fujimoto

Abstract:

This book presents a theoretical framework of plasma spectroscopy, in which the observed spectral line intensities or the populations of excited levels of atoms or ions immersed in plasma are interpreted in terms of the characteristics of the plasma. Following a review of important atomic processes in plasma, the rate equation governing the populations in excited levels and the ground state is solved in the collisional-radiative model. In this model, plasmas are classified into the ionizing plasma and the recombining plasma. Various features of these plasmas are examined. Ionization and recombination of atoms and ions are also treated in the model. An emission-line intensity is proportional to the ionization flux or to the recombination flux, and thus the ionization-balance plasma produces less intense emission lines. The recombination continuum intensity continues smoothly to the series lines, originating from levels in local thermodynamic equilibrium, so that the Boltzmann plot of the population of these levels is extended to the continuum-state electrons. Line broadening mechanisms are discussed, including the Stark broadening. Radiation transport gives rise to a modification to the emission line profile and to an effective decrease in the transition probability; the latter problem is treated in two alternative approaches. Phenomena characteristic of dense plasma are discussed, including the excitation and deexcitation processes of ions involving doubly excited levels and a modification to the Saha relationship.

9. An Introduction to Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis. 2004.

J. N. Reddy

Abstract:

This book presents the theory and computer implementation of the finite element method as applied to nonlinear problems of heat transfer and similar field problems, fluid mechanics (flows of incompressible fluids), and solid mechanics (elasticity, beams and plates). Both geometric as well as material nonlinearities are considered, and static and transient (that is, time-dependent) responses are studied. Although there exist a number of books on nonlinear finite elements that serve as good references for engineers who are familiar with the subject and wish to learn advanced topics or the latest developments, there is currently no book that is suitable as a textbook for a first course on nonlinear finite element analysis. This book fills the void in the market, providing a clear understanding of the concepts of nonlinear finite element analyses through detailed theoretical formulations and computer implementation steps, examples and exercises, in a tutorial, user-oriented style. In addition, the book is a useful reference for industrial engineers and scientists, and serves as a prelude to more advanced books on the subject.

10. Modeling Reality. 2004.

Iwo Bialynicki-Birula and Iwona Bialynicka-Birula

Abstract:

This book covers a wide range of subjects concerning the use of computer modeling to solve a diverse set of problems. The book covers some advanced topics (cellular automata, Shannon measure of information content, dynamical systems, deterministic chaos, fractals, statistical linguistics, game theory, neural networks, genetic algorithms, Turing machines, and artificial intelligence). These advanced subjects are explained in terms of well known simple concepts such as the Game of Life, probability and statistics, Galton's board, Shannon's formula, game of twenty questions, game theory, and a format similar to a television quiz. Twenty-five programs written specifically for the book greatly enhance its pedagogical value and the enjoyment of learning. These can be found at http://www.modelingreality.net/.

11. Quantum Field Theory and Critical Phenomena. 2002.

Jean Zinn-Justin

Abstract:

The book is an introduction to quantum field theory and renormalization group. It shows that these frameworks are essential for the understanding of phenomena belonging to many different areas of physics, which range from phase transitions in macroscopic systems to the theory of fundamental interactions. This book emphasizes the common aspects of particle physics and the theory of critical phenomena in a unified framework. Three new chapters have been included in this edition: an introduction to non-relativistic quantum statistical physics; a chapter on critical phenomena in non-magnetic systems, polymers, liquid-vapour, and helium superfluid transitions; and a chapter on finite temperature relativistic quantum field theory. The book can be roughly divided into four parts: chapters 1-12 deal with general field theory, functional integrals, and functional methods. In chapters 13-21, renormalization properties of theories with symmetries are studied and specific applications to particle physics are emphasized. Chapters 23-37 are devoted to critical phenomena. Chapters 39-43 describe the role of instantons in quantum mechanics and field theory.

12. Path Integrals in Quantum Mechanics. 2004.

Jean Zinn-Justin

Abstract:

Path integrals are mathematical objects that can be considered as generalizations to an infinite number of variables, represented by paths, of usual integrals. They share the algebraic properties of usual integrals, but have new properties from the viewpoint of analysis. They are powerful tools for the study of quantum mechanics, since they emphasize very explicitly the correspondence between classical and quantum mechanics. Physical quantities are expressed as averages over all possible paths but, in the semi-classical limit, the leading contributions come from paths close to classical paths. Thus, path integrals lead to an intuitive understanding of physical quantities in the semi-classical limit, as well as simple calculations of such quantities. This observation can be illustrated with scattering processes, spectral properties, or barrier penetration effects. Even though the formulation of quantum mechanics based on path integrals seems mathematically more complicated than the usual formulation based on partial differential equations, the path integral formulation is well adapted to systems with many degrees of freedom, where a formalism of Schrödinger type is much less useful. It allows simple construction of a many-body theory both for bosons and fermions.

13. Modern Perspectives in Lattice QCD: Quantum Field Theory and High Performance Computing. 2011.

Abstract:

The book is based on the lectures delivered at the XCIII Session of the ´Ecole de Physique des Houches, held in August, 2009. The aim of the event was to familiarize the new generation of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral Fellows with the principles and methods of modern lattice field theory, which Is set to resolve fundamental, non-perturbative questions about QCD without uncontrolled approximations. The emphasis of the book is on the theoretical developments that have shaped the field in the last two decades and that have turned lattice gauge theory into a robust approach to the determination of low energy hadronic quantities and of fundamental parameters of the Standard Model. By way of introduction, the courses of the school began by covering lattice theory basics (P. Hernández), lattice renormalization and improvement (P. Weisz and A. Vladikas) and the many faces of chirality (D.B. Kaplan). A later course introduced QCD at finite temperature and density (O. Philipsen). A broad view of lattice computation from the basics to recent developments was offered in the corresponding course (M. Lüscher). The students learned the basics of lattice computation in a hands-on tutorial (S. Schaefer)---a first at Les Houches, Extrapolations to physical quark masses and a framework for the parameterization of the low-energy physics by means of effective coupling constants has been covered in the course on chiral perturbation theory (M. Golterman). A course in heavy-quark effective theories (R. Sommer), an essential tool for performing the relevant lattice calculations, covered HQET from its basics to recent advances. A number of shorter courses rounded out the school and broadened its purview. These included recent applications to flavour physics (L. Lellouch) the nucleon--nucleon interation (S. Aoki) and a course on physics beyond the Standard Model (T. Appelquist and E.T. Neil).

14. Financial Market Complexity. 2003.

Neil F. Johnson, Paul Jefferies, and Pak Ming Hui

Abstract:

Financial markets provide a fascinating example of ‘complexity in action’: a real-world complex system whose evolution is dictated by the decisions of crowds of traders who are continually trying to win in a vast global ‘game’. This book draws on recent ideas from the highly-topical science of complexity and complex systems to address the following questions: how do financial markets behave? Why do financial markets behave in the way that they do? What can we do to minimize risk, given this behavior? Standard finance theory is built around several seemingly innocuous assumptions about market dynamics. This book shows how these assumptions can give misleading answers to crucially important practical problems such as minimizing financial risk, coping with extreme events such as crashes or drawdowns, and pricing derivatives. After discussing the background to the concept of complexity and the structure of financial markets in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 examines the assumptions upon which standard finance theory is built. Reality sets in with Chapter 3, where data from two seemingly different markets are analyzed and certain universal features uncovered which cannot be explained within standard finance theory. Chapters 4 and 5 mark a significant departure from the philosophy of standard finance theory, being concerned with exploring microscopic models of markets which are faithful to real market microstructure, yet which also reproduce real-world features. Chapter 6 moves to the practical problem of how to quantify and hedge risk in real world markets. Chapter 7 discusses deterministic descriptions of market dynamics, incorporating the topics of chaos and the all-important phenomenon of market crashes.

15. Hilbert Modular Forms and Iwasawa Theory. 2006.

Haruzo Hida

Abstract:

The 1995 work by Wiles and Taylor-Wiles opened up a whole new technique in algebraic number theory and, a decade on, the waves caused by this incredibly important work are still being felt. This book describes a generalization of their techniques to Hilbert modular forms (towards the proof of the celebrated ‘R=T’ theorem) and applications of the theorem that have been found. Applications include a proof of the torsion of the adjoint Selmer group (over a totally real field F and over the Iwasawa tower of F) and an explicit formula of the L-invariant of the arithmetic p-adic adjoint L-functions. This implies the torsion of the classical anticyclotomic Iwasawa module of a CM field over the Iwasawa algebra. When specialized to an elliptic Tate curve over F by the L-invariant formula, the invariant of the adjoint square of the curve has exactly the same expression as the one in the conjecture of Mazur-Tate-Teitelbaum (which is for the standard L-function of the elliptic curve and is now a theorem of Greenberg-Stevens).

16. Graphs and Homomorphisms. 2004.

Pavol Hell and Jaroslav Nesetril

Abstract:

Graph theory is now an established discipline but the study of graph homomorphisms has only recently begun to gain wide acceptance and interest. This text is devoted entirely to the subject, bringing together the highlights of the theory and its many applications. It looks at areas such as graph reconstruction, products, fractional and circular colourings, and constraint satisfaction problems, and has applications in complexity theory, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and statistical physics. It has a wide focus on algebraic, combinatorial, and algorithmic aspects of graph homomorphisms. A reference list and historical summaries extend the material explicitly discussed. The book contains exercises of varying difficulty. Hints or references are provided for the more difficult exercises.

17. Celebrating Statistics. 2005.

A. C. Davison, Yadolah Dodge, and N. Wermuth

Abstract:

Sir David Cox is among the most important statisticians of the past half-century, making pioneering and highly influential contributions to a wide range of topics in statistics and applied probability. This book contains summaries of the invited talks at a meeting held at the University of Neuchâtel in July 2004 to celebrate David Cox’s 80th birthday. The chapters describe current developments across a wide range of topics, ranging from statistical theory and methods, through applied probability and modelling, to applications in areas including finance, epidemiology, hydrology, medicine, and social science. The book contains chapters by numerous well-known statisticians. It provides a summary of current thinking across a wide front by leading statistical thinkers.

18. Combinatorics, Complexity, and Chance. 2007.

Geoffrey Grimmett and Colin McDiarmid

Abstract:

Professor Dominic Welsh has made significant contributions to the fields of combinatorics and discrete probability, including matroids, complexity, and percolation. He has taught, influenced, and inspired generations of students and researchers in mathematics. This book summarizes and reviews the consistent themes from his work through a series of articles written by renowned experts. These articles, presented as chapters, contain original research work, set in a broader context by the inclusion of review material.

19. Harmonic, Morphisms Between Riemannian Manifolds. 2003.

Paul Baird and John C. Wood

Abstract:

Harmonic morphisms are maps which preserve Laplace's equation. More explicitly, a map between Riemannian manifolds is called a harmonic morphism if its composition with any locally defined harmonic function on the codomain is a harmonic function on the domain; it thus ‘pulls back’ germs of harmonic functions to germs of harmonic functions. Harmonic morphisms can be characterized as harmonic maps satisfying a condition dual to weak conformality called ‘horizontal weak conformality’ or ‘semiconformality’. Examples include harmonic functions, conformal mappings in the plane, holomorphic mappings with values in a Riemann surface, and certain submersions arising from Killing fields and geodesic fields. The study of harmonic morphisms involves many different branches of mathematics: the book includes discussion on aspects of the theory of foliations, polynomials induced by Clifford systems and orthogonal multiplications, twistor and mini-twistor spaces, and Hermitian structures. Relations with topology are discussed, including Seifert fibre spaces and circle actions, also relations with isoparametric functions and the Beltrami fields equation of hydrodynamics.

21. Operator Algebras and Their Modules. 2004.

David P. Blecher and Christian Le Merdy

Abstract:

This book presents the general theory of algebras of operators on a Hilbert space, and the modules over such algebras. The new theory of operator spaces is presented early on and the text assembles the basic concepts, theory, and methodologies. A major trend in modern mathematics, inspired largely by physics, is toward ‘noncommutative’ or ‘quantized’ phenomena. In functional analysis, this has appeared notably under the name of ‘operator spaces’, which is a variant of Banach spaces which is particularly appropriate for solving problems concerning spaces or algebras of operators on Hilbert space arising in ‘noncommutative mathematics’. The category of operator spaces includes operator algebras, selfadjoint (that is, C*-algebras) or otherwise. Also, most of the important modules over operator algebras are operator spaces. A common treatment of the subjects of C*-algebras, nonselfadjoint operator algebras, and modules over such algebras (such as Hilbert C*-modules), together under the umbrella of operator space theory, is the main topic of the book. A general theory of operator algebras and their modules naturally develops out of the operator space methodology. Indeed, operator space theory is a sensitive enough medium to reflect accurately many important noncommutative phenomena. Using recent advances in the field, the book shows how the underlying operator space structure captures, very precisely, the profound relations between the algebraic and the functional analytic structures involved. The rich interplay between spectral theory, operator theory, C*-algebra and von Neumann algebra techniques, and the influx of important ideas from related disciplines, such as pure algebra, Banach space theory, Banach algebras, and abstract function theory is highlighted. Each chapter ends with a section of notes containing additional information.

22. Adapting to a Changing Environment. 2011.

Tim R. McClanahan and Joshua Cinner

Abstract:

Societies must choose how they wish to deal with climate change. Not doing anything or pursuing ‘business as usual’ is likely to lead down a path that will have devastating consequences for many people, especially the world’s poor. Using a focal lens of coral reef fisheries, upon which millions of people depend on for their livelihood, this book provides a tool box of options for confronting the consequences of climate change through building local-scale adaptive capacity in societies and improving the condition of the natural resources. Building adaptive capacity will require strengthening appropriate aspects of a society’s flexibility, assets, learning and social organizations. They ways of doing this are diverse and will, of course, depend on existing local capacities and needs. Improving the condition of resources tends to require restricting or limiting society’s actions. These two broad concepts, of building social capacities and limiting certain types of resource use, interact in complicated ways, requiring coupled actions. One of the central themes of this book is that adaptation solutions are context dependent, determined in part by aspects of local resource conditions, adaptive capacity, and exposure to climate change impacts, but also by people’s history, culture, and aspirations. This book develops a framework to help provide governments, scientists, managers, and donors with critical information about the local context and develop nuanced actions that reflect these local conditions. This information can help to identify key opportunities and narrow the range of potential adaptation options that may be suitable for a particular location.

23. Marine Ecosystems and Global Change. 2010.

Abstract:

Global environmental change, which includes climate change, biodiversity loss, changes in hydrological and biogeochemical cycles, and intensive exploitation of natural resources, is having significant impacts on the world's oceans. This book advances knowledge of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, and their past, present, and future responses to physical and anthropogenic forcing. The book illustrates how climate and humans impact marine ecosystems by a comprehensive review of the physical and ecological processes that structure marine ecosystems and the observation, experimentation, and modelling approaches required for their study. Recognizing the interactive roles played by humans in using marine resources and in responding to global changes in marine systems, the book includes chapters on the human dimensions of marine ecosystem changes and on effective management approaches in the era of change. Part IV reviews the state of the art in predicting the responses of marine ecosystems to future global change scenarios. The book provides a synthesis of the work conducted under the auspices of the Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (GLOBEC) project over the last two decades, as the largest, multi-disciplinary, international effort focused on understanding the impacts of external forcing on the structure and dynamics of global marine ecosystems.

24. Stochastic Population Dynamics in Ecology and Conservation. 2003.

Russell Lande, Steinar Engen, and Bernt-Erik Saether

Abstract:

All populations fluctuate stochastically, creating a risk of extinction that does not exist in deterministic models, with fundamental consequences for both pure and applied ecology. This book provides an introduction to stochastic population dynamics, combining classical background material with a variety of modern approaches, including previously unpublished results by the authors, illustrated with examples from bird and mammal populations, and insect communities. Demographic and environmental stochasticity are introduced with statistical methods for estimating them from field data. The long-run growth rate of a population is explained and extended to include age structure with both demographic and environmental stochasticity. Diffusion approximations facilitate the analysis of extinction dynamics and the duration of the final decline. Methods are developed for estimating delayed density dependence from population time series using life history data. Metapopulation viability and the spatial scale of population fluctuations and extinction risk are analyzed. Stochastic dynamics and statistical uncertainty in population parameters are incorporated in Population Viability Analysis and strategies for sustainable harvesting. Statistics of species diversity measures and species abundance distributions are described, with implications for rapid assessments of biodiversity, and methods are developed for partitioning species diversity into additive components. Analysis of the stochastic dynamics of a tropical butterfly community in space and time indicates that most of the variance in the species abundance distribution is due to ecological heterogeneity among species, so that real communities are far from neutral.

25. The Estuarine Ecosystem. 2004.

Donald S. McLusky and Michael Elliott

Abstract:

For the inhabitants of many of the world's major cities and towns, estuaries provide their nearest glimpse of a natural habitat; a habitat which, despite the attempts of man to pollute or reclaim it, has remained a fascinating insight into a natural world where energy is transformed from sunlight into plant material, and then, through the steps of a food chain, is converted into a rich food supply for birds and fish. This book first outlines the estuarine environment and the physical and biological factors that are important within it. It then examines the responses of the animals and plants to these factors, considers the problems of life in estuaries and why so few species have adapted to it, and then proposes a food web for an estuary. The coastal waters of the sea, and especially the waters of estuaries, are widely polluted. Thus in practice, marine pollution is often essentially estuarine pollution. To reflect this large impact of mankind on estuaries, and to consider how mankind may either destroy or enrich the estuarine ecosystem, chapters consider pollution in estuaries, and the diverse uses and abuses of the estuarine habitat by man, as well as the methods used to study human-induced changes in estuaries, and the ways in which estuarine management can either monitor, control, or prevent pollution or destruction of the estuarine ecosystem.

26. Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning, and Human Wellbeing. 2009.

Abstract:

How will biodiversity loss affect ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and human wellbeing? In an age of accelerating biodiversity loss, this volume summarizes recent advances in biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning research and explores the economics of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The first section summarizes the development of the basic science and provides a meta-analysis that quantitatively tests several biodiversity and ecosystem functioning hypotheses. The second section describes the natural science foundations of biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning research, including: quantifying functional diversity, the development of the field into a predictive science, effects of stability and complexity, methods to quantify mechanisms by which diversity affects functioning, the importance of trophic structure, microbial ecology, and spatial dynamics. The third section takes research on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning further than it has ever gone into the human dimension. The first six chapters cover the most pressing environmental challenges humanity faces, including effects of diversity on: climate change mitigation, restoration of degraded habitats, managed ecosystems, pollination, disease, and biological invasions. The remaining chapters of section three that consider the economic perspective, including: a synthesis of the economics of ecosystem services and biodiversity, and the options open to policy-makers to address the failure of markets to account for the loss of ecosystem services; an examination of the challenges of valuing ecosystem services and, hence, to understanding the human consequences of decisions that neglect these services; and an examination of the ways in which economists are currently incorporating biodiversity and ecosystem functioning research into decision models for the conservation and management of biodiversity. The final section describes new advances in ecoinformatics that will help transform this field into a globally predictive science, and finally, summarizes the advancements and future directions of the field. The book's ultimate conclusion is that biodiversity is an essential element of any strategy for sustainable development.

27. The Biology of Coral Reefs. 2009.

Charles R. C. Sheppard, Simon K. Davy, and Graham M. Pilling

Abstract:

Coral reefs represent the most spectacular and diverse marine ecosystem on the planet as well as a critical source of protein and income for many millions of people. However, the combined effects of human activities have led to a rapid decline in the health of reefs worldwide, with many now facing complete destruction. This book provides an integrated overview of the function, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of coral reef organisms. Each chapter is enriched with a selection of ‘boxes’ on specific aspects written by internationally recognised experts. The emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate this marine environment although pollution, conservation, climate change, and experimental aspects are also included. Indeed, particular emphasis is placed on conservation and management due to the habitat's critically endangered status. A global range of examples is employed which gives the book international relevance.

28. Thermal Adaptation. 2009.

Michael J. Angilletta Jr.

Abstract:

Temperature pervasively impacts the phenotypes and distributions of organisms. These thermal effects generate strong selective pressures on behaviour, physiology, and life history when environmental temperatures vary over space and time. Despite this fact, progress toward a quantitative theory of thermal adaptation has lagged behind empirical descriptions of patterns and processes. This book draws on current evolutionary paradigms (optimization, quantitative genetics, and genetic algorithms) to establish a theory of thermal adaptation. It initially focuses on simple models that describe the evolution of thermosensitivity, thermoregulation, or acclimation. Later chapters focus on more complex models describing the coadaptation of traits or the coevolution of species. Throughout the book, various lines of evidence are used to question the major assumptions of these models. Furthermore, the predictions of these models are confronted with experimental and comparative data. Empirical examples represent a wide range of taxa, including bacteria, plants, fungi, and animals. The result is a synthesis of theoretical and empirical studies of thermal biology that offers insights about evolutionary processes.

29. Environmental Change and Globalization. 2008.

Robin Leichenko and Karen O'Brien

Abstract:

This book explores the connections between two of the most transformative processes of the 21st century, namely global environmental change and globalization. It presents a conceptual framework for analyzing the interactions between these two processes, and illustrates, through case studies, how these interactions create situations of “double exposure.” Drawing upon case studies largely related to climate change, the book shows how prominent recent and current environmental events — recurring droughts in India, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the melting of the Arctic ice sheet — demonstrate different pathways of interaction between globalization and global environmental change. Each of these pathways shows how broader human security concerns, including increasing inequality, growing vulnerability, and unsustainable rates of development, are integrally connected to both processes of global change. The double exposure framework not only sheds light on the dangers associated with these two global processes, but also reveals possibilities for using the interactions to generate opportunities for positive action. The book ultimately challenges the ways that global environmental change and globalization are viewed and addressed. By drawing attention to double exposure, the book shows how integrated responses to global environmental change and globalization can create new types of synergies that promote sustainability and enhance human security.

30. Food Webs and the Dynamics of Marine Reefs. 2008.

Tim McClanahan and George M. Branch

Abstract:

The book summarizes recent developments in the ecology of kelp forests and coral reefs in order to develop an understanding of the general principles of their ecological organization and how they might be managed from an ecosystem perspective. Ecosystem management has recently become a major focus of efforts to sustain and manage natural resources and this primarily depends on an understanding of the state of the environment, component taxa, and their interactions that compose these food webs. Consequently, this book is an effort to make the desired transition toward ecosystem management by summarizing some of the recent and significant advances in our understanding of the Earth's shallow subtidal marine reefs in the last few decades, specifically coral reefs and kelp forests. The book offers a current review of our understanding of shallow benthic marine reefs and associated fisheries, focusing on food webs and how they have and are currently being altered by human influences. Chapters collectively span the globe and bring together the disparate literature into a synthetic and holistic understanding of these ecosystems. The authors introduce the environments and the food webs, how they vary in space and time, and address human influences. Based on the data and information reviewed, the authors present recommendations that would alleviate potential environmental or biodiversity problems. The main findings of the chapters are summarized in a concluding section synthesizing the organization of shallow marine reefs.

31. Foundations of Environmental Sustainability. 2008.

Larry Rockwood, Ronald Stewart, and Thomas Dietz

Abstract:

This book reviews and analyzes the period (roughly from the 1950s to the present) when the “environment” became an issue as important as economic growth, or war and peace. The aim is to assess the current situation, and begin planning for the challenges that lie ahead. Most people are aware of both the environmental destruction taking place around the world and of the specter of climate change. The devastation of New Orleans by hurricane Katrina illustrates the potential for disaster when climate change is combined with the mismanaged environmental policy. How did we get to this point? What has been done and what can be done to avoid future environmental disasters? Thirty-two contributing authors (among them, one of the principal drafters of the National Environmental Policy Act, Chief of the African Environment Division and the World Bank, Vice President of the Center for Conservation Innovation at the World Wildlife Fund, President of the Zoological Society of London, former President of the Ecological Society of America) use their unique, authoritative perspective to review the evolution of environmental science and policy in the past half century.

32. Conservation and Sustainable Use. 2007.

E.J. Milner-Gulland and J. Marcus Rowcliffe

Abstract:

The overexploitation of wildlife is a key concern for conservationists worldwide. Indeed, wildlife conservation and sustainable use have recently become centrepieces in conservation and development research. Assessment, interpretation, and ultimate action in a scientific study of exploited species must consider numerous factors: from the biology, habitat requirements, and population dynamics of the species in question, to the relationships that people have with their environment and the species within it. Any long-term management plan must ensure that people and wildlife can coexist — otherwise it is doomed to failure. This book provides a practical and integrated approach to carrying out research on the conservation of exploited species. It is relevant to both tropical and temperate biomes, and is applicable to all exploited species. It describes both the practical (field) and theoretical (modelling) techniques for obtaining and interpreting information, integrating biological, social, economic, and institutional analyses. It also demonstrates how to translate information into effective action through appropriate interventions, from legislation to changing people's attitudes.

33. Fundamental Processes in Ecology. 2006.

David M. Wilkinson

Abstract:

This book raises and attempts to answer the following thought experiment: ‘For any planet with carbon-based life, which persists over geological time-scales, what is the minimum set of ecological processes that must be present?’. The main intention of this book is to use an astrobiological perspective as a means of thinking about ecology on Earth. Its focus on processes contrasts with the commoner focus in ecology textbooks on entities such as individuals, populations, species, communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere. The book suggests that seven ecological processes are fundamental (not including natural selection and competition, which characterize all of life rather than only ecology): energy flow (energy consumption and waste product excretion), multiple guilds (autotrophs, decomposers, and parasites), tradeoffs (specialization versus generalization, leading to biodiversity within guilds), ecological hypercycles (cycles within cycles), merging of organismal and ecological physiology (as life spreads over the planet, biotic and abiotic processes interact so strongly as to be inseparable), photosynthesis (which it suggests likely in most biospheres but not inevitable), and carbon sequestration. These fundamental processes lead to the emergence of nutrient cycling. The integration of Earth System Science with ecology is vitally important if ecological science is to successfully contribute to the massive problems and future challenges associated with global change. The book is heavily influenced by Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis.

34. Habitat Management for Conservation. 2007.

Malcolm Ausden

Abstract:

Habitat management is commonly used to maintain and enhance the biological interest of many areas of semi-natural habitat, where natural processes no longer create suitable conditions for desired species. Habitat restoration and creation is increasingly being used to increase the extent of ecologically important habitats in order to mitigate the impacts of human development. The modification of past management techniques and the introduction of new ones can provide additional benefits. This book describes the range of techniques used to manage land for biodiversity conservation. The opening sections discuss the general principles of habitat management, including decision-making, mitigating damaging effects of climate change, and monitoring the success of management. These are followed by a series of chapters which describe how to manage specific habitats: grasslands, dwarf-shrub vegetation and shrublands, forests, woodlands and scrub, freshwater wetlands, coastal habitats, arable land, and gardens, backyards, and urban areas. For each of these habitats the book discusses the main factors influencing their value for wildlife, highlights the key decisions that need to be made, and describes and compares the effects of individual management techniques.

35. Principles and Standards for Measuring Primary Production. 2007.

Timothy J. Fahey and Alan K. Knapp

Abstract:

Standardized approaches for the measurement of primary production — the rate of energy storage in the organic matter of plants — are essential to facilitate scientific comparisons and syntheses as well as policy and management on global climate change and the carbon cycle. This book provides an overview of the principles that should underlie every program of measurement of primary production in the Earth's major biomes. Each of seven biome-based chapters provides an overview of essential features of primary production processes in the biome and detailed descriptions of the procedures used to quantify primary production in grasslands, shrublands, forests, peatlands and tundra, salt marshes, marine pelagic, and freshwater ecosystems. Recent advances in the measurement of belowground production in terrestrial biomes are described. The book also provides detailed guidelines for information management based upon current experiences of the US Long-Term Ecological Research network. Advanced techniques are described for scaling up empirical measurements of primary production using remotely-sensed information. Finally, the principles and practices for quantifying uncertainty in primary production measurements are explored using examples from various biomes.

36. The Biology of Mangroves and Seagrasses. 2007.

Peter Hogarth

Abstract:

Mangroves and seagrasses form extensive and highly productive ecosystems that are biologically diverse and economically valuable. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of the biology and ecology of mangroves and seagrasses, using a global range of examples. It deals with the adaptations of these plants to their exacting environment; the rich and diverse communities of organisms that depend on mangrove forests and seagrass meadows (including tree-climbing shrimps, synchronously flashing fireflies, and ‘gardening’ seacows); the links between mangrove, seagrass, and other habitats; the evolution, biodiversity, and biogeography of mangroves and seagrasses; and the likely effects of global climate change. The economic value of mangroves and seagrasses is also discussed, including approaches to rational management of these vital resources, and techniques for the restoration of degraded habitats. Particular emphasis is placed on the organisms that dominate these aquatic environments although pollution, conservation, and experimental aspects are also considered.

37. Tropical Forests and Global Atmospheric Change. 2005.

Yadvinder Malhi and Oliver Phillips

Abstract:

Tropical forests represent the world's most biodiverse ecosystems and play a key role in hydrology, carbon storage, and exchange. Many of the human-induced pressures these regions are facing, e.g. fragmentation and deforestation, have been widely reported and well documented. However, there have been surprisingly few efforts to synthesize cutting-edge science in the area of tropical forest interaction with atmospheric change. At a time when our global atmosphere is undergoing a period of rapid change, both in terms of climate and in the cycling of essential elements such as carbon and nitrogen, a thorough and up-to-date analysis is timely. This text explores the vigorous contemporary debate as to how rapidly tropical forests may be affected by atmospheric change, and what this may mean for their future.

38. Computational Molecular Evolution. 2006.

Ziheng Yang

Abstract:

The field of molecular evolution has experienced explosive growth in recent years due to the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence data, continuous improvements to computer hardware and software, and the development of sophisticated analytical methods. The increasing availability of large genomic data sets requires powerful statistical methods to analyse and interpret them, generating both computational and conceptual challenges for the field. This book provides a comprehensive coverage of modern statistical and computational methods used in molecular evolutionary analysis, such as maximum likelihood and Bayesian statistics. It describes the models, methods and algorithms that are most useful for analysing the ever-increasing supply of molecular sequence data, with a view to furthering our understanding of the evolution of genes and genomes. The book emphasizes essential concepts rather than mathematical proofs. It includes detailed derivations and implementation details, as well as numerous illustrations, worked examples, and exercises.

39. The Microbial Models of Molecular Biology. 2003.

Rowland H. Davis

Abstract:

This book explains the role of simple biological model systems in the growth of molecular biology. Essentially, the whole history of molecular biology is presented here, tracing the work in bacteriophages in E. coli, the role of other prokaryotic systems, and also the protozoan and algal models — Paramecium and Chlamydomonas, primarily — and the move into eukaryotes with the fungal systems Neurospora, Aspergillus, and yeast. Each model was selected for its appropriateness for asking a given class of questions, and each spawned its own community of investigators. Some individuals made the transition to a new model over time, and remnant communities of investigators continue to pursue questions in all these models, as the cutting edge of molecular biological research flows onward from model to model, and onward into higher organisms and, ultimately, mouse and man.

40. Human Genetic Diversity. 2009.

Julian C. Knight

Abstract:

This book describes the remarkable progress which has been made in defining the extent and nature of human genetic variation, and its many consequences for us as individuals and in understanding human origins. A mix of cutting-edge and landmark studies are reviewed to provide an overview of the field combined with in-depth analysis of specific informative examples to show how progress has been achieved and likely future directions. The major classes of genetic variation are described, ranging from chromosomal level variation, to submicroscopic structural variation, to fine scale sequence level variation. The substantial progress achieved in defining the genetic basis of diseases is described for both diseases showing Mendelian inheritance and common multifactorial diseases. Efforts to catalogue human genetic variation, insights into genomic disorders, the role of copy number variation, segmental duplications and tandem repeats are highlighted together with progress which has lead to recent success with genome-wide association studies. Other chapters highlight the genetics of gene expression, evidence of selection and susceptibility to diseases such as malaria and HIV infection. Human genetic variation has implications across a broad range of disciplines and this text aims to consolidate work in diverse fields to highlight common themes and principles. To facilitate this the basic principles of human molecular genetics are described throughout the text, which is extensively illustrated.

41. Dispersal in Plants. 2008.

Roger Cousens, Calvin Dytham, and Richard Law

Abstract:

Ecologists, both practical and theoretical, now appreciate that to understand biological systems they must consider the spatial dimension. Consequently, dispersal has become one of the hottest topics in plant ecology. However, in the midst of so much research output on dispersal, there is a need for a stock-take to determine the needs of future research: what has been achieved to date, where do current studies fit in, and what still needs to be determined? What are the implications of dispersal for those engaged in managing plant populations and communities? This is the first book for many years to present a synthesis of research on dispersal and its implications for plant population dynamics. The book consists of three sections: Section A reviews information on the biological and environmental processes that determine the path of an individual dispersing propagule, usually a seed, and the theory that has been developed to predict these trajectories; Section B discusses the distributions of seeds resulting from dispersal from an entire plant, theoretical research predicting the shapes of these distributions and design issues for future dispersal studies; Section C explores the implications of dispersal for expansion of populations, structure within existing populations and communities, and the evolution of dispersal traits.

42. Everyday Practice of Science. 2008.

Frederick Grinnell

Abstract:

Scientific facts can be so complicated that only specialists in a field fully appreciate the details, but the nature of everyday practice that gives rise to these facts should be understandable by everyone interested in science. This book describes how scientists bring their own interests and passions to their work, illustrates the dynamics between researchers and the research community, and emphasizes a contextual understanding of science in place of the linear model found in textbooks with its singular focus on “scientific method”. This book also introduces readers to issues about science and society. Practice requires value judgments: What should be done? Who should do it? Who should pay for it? How much? Balancing scientific opportunities with societal needs depends on appreciating both the promises and the ambiguities of science. Understanding practice informs discussions about how to manage research integrity, conflict of interest, and the challenge of modern genetics to human research ethics. Society cannot have the benefits of research without the risks. The last chapter contrasts the practices of science and religion as reflective of two different types of faith and describes a holistic framework within which they dynamically interact.

43. Aquatic Food Webs. 2005.

Abstract:

This book provides a synthesis of theoretical and empirical food web research. Whether they are binary systems or weighted networks, food webs are of particular interest to ecologists by providing a macroscopic view of ecosystems. They describe interactions between species and their environment, and subsequent advances in the understanding of their structure, function, and dynamics are of vital importance to ecosystem management and conservation. This book covers issues of structure, function, scaling, complexity, and stability in the contexts of conservation, fisheries, and climate. Although the focus of this volume is upon aquatic food webs (where many of the recent advances have been made), many other issues are addressed.

44. Forest Ecology and Conservation. 2007.

Adrian Newton

Abstract:

Forest conservation has become one of the most important environmental issues currently facing humanity, as a result of widespread deforestation and forest degradation. Pressures on remaining natural forests continue to intensify, leading to high rates of biodiversity loss. Understanding how human activities influence ecological processes within forests is essential for developing effective conservation action. This book describes research methods and techniques relevant to understanding forest ecology, with a particular focus on those that are relevant to practical conservation and sustainable forest management. This information is currently disparate and difficult to locate, and the intention here is to provide a comprehensive synthesis. Methods are presented for assessing forest extent and condition, structure and composition, and forest dynamics at a variety of scales. Techniques for assessing genetic variation and reproductive ecology, and for evaluating the habitat value of forests are also described. Particular emphasis is given to state-of-the-art techniques, such as remote sensing, GIS, computer modelling, and molecular markers. However, traditional methods of forest mensuration and ecological survey are also presented. The methods and techniques described are generally applicable to all forest types, including both temperate and tropical forest ecosystems.

45. Population Genetics, Linguistics, and Culture History in. 2007.

Jonathan S. Friedlaender

Abstract:

The broad arc of islands north of Australia, extending from Indonesia east towards the central Pacific, is home to a set of human populations whose diversity is unsurpassed elsewhere. Approximately 20% of the world's languages are spoken here, and the biological and genetic heterogeneity among the groups is also extraordinary. This book describes the origins of the genetic and linguistic variation there. It lays out the very complex structure of the variation within and among the islands in this relatively small but important region. This book applies genetic analyses to an intensively sampled set of populations, and subjects these and complementary linguistic data to a variety of phylogenetic analyses. This reveals a number of heretofore unknown ancient Pleistocene genetic variants that are only found in these island populations, and identifies the genetic footprints of more recent migrants from Southeast Asia who were the ancestors of the Polynesians. Finally, a number of explanatory models are tested to see which best account for the observed pattern of genetic variation. The results indicate that a number of commonly used models of evolutionary divergence and biogeography are overly simple in their assumptions, and that human diversity often has accumulated in very complex ways.

46. The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles. 2007.

Frederick R. Davis

Abstract:

Archie Carr, one of the greatest biologists of the 20th century, played a leading part in finding a new and critical role for natural history and systematics in a post-1950s world, which was dominated by the glamorous science of molecular biology. With the rise of molecular biology came a growing popular awareness of species extinction. This biography reveals how Carr championed endangered sea turtles, and the ways in which his work reflected major shifts in the study of ecology, evolution, and conservation. A gifted nature writer, Carr's books and lectures on the natural history of sea turtles and their habitats in Florida, the Caribbean, and Africa entertained and educated a wide audience. Carr's conservation ethic grew from his field work as well as his friendships with the fishermen and other locals who supplied him with many of the stories he retold so engagingly. With Archie Carr as the focus, this book explores the evolution of the naturalist tradition, biology, and conservation during the 20th century.

College of Science Library, University of the Philippines, Velasquez St., Diliman 1101, Quezon City, Philippines